Michael Nowlin

Dr. Michael Nowlin is a Professor and Acting Chair in the Department of English at the University of Victoria. He specializes in 19th- and 20th-century American literature, with a focus on modern African American fiction, the Harlem Renaissance, and comparative literary studies. His research engages authors such as James Weldon Johnson, Richard Wright, Ralph Ellison, Henry James, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and Edith Wharton.

• Education: BA (Western University), MA (University of Toronto), PhD (University of California, Los Angeles)

His current research project, titled “James Weldon Johnson: A Portrait of the Artist as a Race Man,” explores the intersection of artistry and civil rights activism in Johnson’s work. Dr. Nowlin has held prestigious fellowships, including the Donald C. Gallup Fellowship at Yale University’s Beinecke Library (2022) and a University of Victoria Humanities Fellowship (2016-2017).

Teaching and supervision emphasize American literature, African American literature, and comparative approaches to British, Irish, French, and American literatures. His office is located in CLE C320/C343a.